Grid for secondary batteries.



' A. c. DUKE.v GRH) FOR SECONDARY BATTERIES. APPL'ICATION- EILED APR. 15, 1916.

vPatented spt. 26,1916. 2 SHEETS-SHEET i.'

- Ilm/EN nm# ALBERT C 'Dz'fffa A. C. DEIKE.

GRID FOR SECONDARY BATTERIES.

APPLlcAloN man APR, 15. 1916.

111111111111 sept, 26, 1911s.

2 'SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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/lwE/v 10H l l LEEBT GDEJKE',

CII

man sTATns PATENT orinon- ALBERT DEIKE, OF CLEVELAND, OI-IIQ, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO FRANK ERNEST f IVIAT'IHEWS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

- GRID non sEcoNDARY'BATTnitIEs.

To all whom 1f-may concern:

Be it'known that 1,1`ALBERTCARL Dninn, a citizengof the United States of America,

residing at Cleveland, in .the county of Cuyahoga.' 'and State of Ohio, have invented certain 'newand useful Improvements 1n f Grids for'Secondary Batteriesfof which the following is a specication. My invention relates to improvements 1n grids for secondary or storage batteries, and, has Afor itsp objctth`e prov1s1on. of a grld or support for the active material, wherein the same, ismolded;` the said. grid being of such strong construction, as will prevent warping,` although of relatively, light weight, whileQa low electrical resistance is maintained after continued use, and anadeL y quate support is affordedv for thejactive ma .In constructing a grid, it is lhighly de- Y sirable that --a uniformity ,or regularity -of design shall obtain, and furthermore, the body of `active,material should remain. ,con tinuous, and unbroken ,in mass, so Aifafras possible. "Coupled with all this',. is *the requirement that the electrical'resistance shall be'relatively low',`. so that heating effects during 'discharge,`"7may be largely eliminated,

. yetthemass. of active material advantageously islmaintained at a .maximu1 n,. and

the metal body ofl the gridat a minimum, in order to securel the highest e'iiciency within'. the cell.. In consequence; much eiort. has been expendedlooking `toward the `consideration has'become, m'OreHand morel '40 'JproperdesignY of the metal body or frame of the grid, which for commercial reasons, preferably must be kept withinncertain limits, as to'size and weight. This latter important, inthe light of extensive use of storage ,batteriesnpon automobile'` vehicles, and the' grid herein shown rand descr1bed,is-. especially designed forthis service. 'As afinal consideration, the constructor .of a grid "for use kupon electricl vehicles, must afford adequate support for the relatively heavy body. of paste@ oxid, to tamente within f 'the grid, because 'of .excessive vibration to which the battery necessarily lis subjected vin use. Aln improving upon the 'gridwforsecondary batteries, l have endeavoredto keep all f ofthese considerations and 'requirements 1n mind, giving due weightandimportance to each, and thereby, l have been'enabledto gular frame,

'the grid.

' p Specicationof Letters`iatent. Patented Slept. 26, 1916. l.application mea April 15, 191e. .semina 91,489. I`

meet the problems with a structure better adapted' to severe service, than any other with whichl am acquainted.

The grid in question, comprises a rectanand diagonal supporting ribs substantiallyof the-full width ofthe frame,

which serve both as electrical. conductors,

. extending generally toward a terminal of` the grid,I and as braces for strengthening the frame, ,and preventing any warping of Associated with these diagonal r1bs,`are transverse supports or shelves for the active material, which preferably are of staggered, serrated form, and'these are con- -nected by light vertical ribs, integral'with the staggered points of serration; the whole being molded integrally from a suitable lead alloy. Theseseveral ribs and supports pref .erably are arranged in parallel relation each to each, so that -the .openings within the grid are uniform throughout its 'entire surface, .and upon both sides. Detailsy of this somewhat complex but effective grid structurevmay be, best explained by making reference to the accompanying sheet of .structed in accordance with my invention.

Fig., 2 is a transverse sectional 'View on llne 2--2 of Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary portion of the upper terminal corner of the grid, in slight perspective. Fig. 4 is a simi- .lar fragment ofthe grid, showing the same filled with paste or oxid, exeeptas to two central squares. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on lines 5-5 of Figs. 1 .and 3;

drawings, I have employedv the same character of 'reference to indicatesimilar parts. 'The lattel` figures are drawn upon asemewhat larger- `scale, t illustrate details 'of construction;

The grid shown in Fig. comprises an oblong rectangular frame, a, b, having4 a terminala, positioned at the upper left hand corner, as the structureis shown upon its side. 'Diagonally extending toward the ter ioo .mipalfand its. integral side frame, which is a .prolongation thereof, are supporting ribs'd,

which serve also as conductors affording aph proximately the shortest paths for the gen-.

erated current from distant points of the grid, to the terminal. Some six of these diagonal ribs, it is true, intersect the top cross-section, intersect the diagonals, andform coiitinuations of the serrated points of the transverse supports e. While I have spoken of these separate members or elements constituting the grid of my invention, it will be understood that theentire structure is cast integrally, as is usual with most battery grids, and it may be made from any suitable lead alloy.

An examination of Fig. 3, will disclose that the openings in my improved grid arel of absolute uniformity, throughout the body thereof, comprising small squares which .are

' intersected by a diagonal rib, the full width of the plate. This obtains exceptingonly the lowermost row of openings, Fig. l, which are made slightly smaller, as a matter of design in the particular grid shown herein. These squares are defined upon the surface by narrow vertical ribs, in staggered-relation upon opposite sides ofthe plate, and the full width of the edges of the transverse supports, excepting' again', only those squares which are immediately adjacent to the frame.' The typical squares are constitutedas best shown in the two unfilled squares,

` centrally positioned in Fig. 4.

With the grid structurejust described, well inmind, it will be seen that the body of active l'material is unbroken, as the same is molded within the openings of the grid, throughout diagonally extending sections, embraced between the parallel ribs d. This is true, for the reason that the horizontal supports carrying the weight of the oxid, are in staggeredrelation, and approach the surface only at their points of intersection with the. narrow vertical ribs f, (speaking of the plate or electrode, of course, as it is positioned for seryice, with the terminal extending upright.) As thus supported, these continuous diagonal sections of active material are in close contact upon two sides with the embracing diagonal ribs d, and thereby the electrical conductivity ofthe battery plate is maintained at a maximum. On the other hand, said active material is' supportedfrom staggered serrated shelves, which are stayed by their integral connection with the vertical and diagonal ribs. Inasmuch as this construction maintains substantial uniformity of temperature throughout the entire body of the electrode, under conditions of charging and discharging the' same, an excessive temperature is thereby avoided, and rela-' tively little expansion occurs. Moreover, the grid structure is rigidly restrained from any buckling or warping action, which is a common cau'se of trouble in the ordinary type of grid.

By adopting the parallel diagonal ribs, which are of the full depth of the grid, not only is extreme strength insured, but the size and consequent weight of these ribs may be materially reduced, inasmuch as they supplement eachother uniformly throughout all areas or sections of the grid. The transverse shelvesor supports for the active material, although proportioned to have considerable. body and stiffness, in the aggregate, ar'e of relatively light weight, by reason of their staggered vserratedl form, supported as they are, from rtheir serrated points, by the vertical surface ribs. The active material'vr may be molded under high compression, within the openings, thereby bringing it intoigntimate relation wit-h the metal bodies of the-several supporting ribs, so that the resistance of the battery plate undergoes little variation, during continued use thereof. vIt will be observed that the spacing of the several parallel elements or members of myimproved grid, is equal throughout, so that uniformity in the grid structure is obtained.

The continuity of the body of active material z', is best shown in Fig. 2, wherein the supporting shelves e, extend in staggered i'elation half-way through the depth of the grid, in the section shown, but the body of material is continuous between the diagonal ribs (l, although adequately supported upon the serrated shelves.

Fig. 5 well illustrates in enlarged detail, the lseveral members forming my improved diagonally stayed grid, asfviewed in crosssection. However, it is quite practicable, to

omit some or all of the diagonals, as illusy trated in Figs. 6 and 7, wherein active mate-A rialis supported as before, from the serrated shelves e,.stayedat their points or apexes,

by the vertical ribs f. Absolute uniformity is retained in this type of grid, and it is well adapted for service under ,conditions of less severe use, than the preferred type shown in the earlier figures of theA drawings. Otherwise, details are as already described, but it will be understood that my invention is not necessarily limited to the features not expressly recited in the appended claims. l

Having now described the preferred embodiment ofk my invention, I claim as new,

and desirevto secure by Letters Patent, the following 1. A grid for secondary batteries, comprising a rectangular frame, a terminal positioned adJacent to onev corner thereof, diagonally positioned ribs of substantially the. full generally toward said corner for conducting the current and stiffening the grid, and uniformly'. spaced continuous transverse members for supportingthe oxid fillingconnected with said diagonal strip, Asubstantially as set forth.

the'frame, substantially as set forth.

8. A grid for secondaryl batteriesyco'mi vprising a rectangular frame, a terminal potions toward the terminal v several members being respectively parallek' each to each, a'nddisposed at uniform sp'acsitioned at the upper portion thereof, di-

the lower porof substantially the fll thickness ofthe grid, transverse serrated supports in staggered relation intersecting said ribs, and staggered vertical ribs intersecting said supports at their serrated points; all integrally molded,\sub

agonal ribs extending from stantially'as set forth.``

4. A grid vfor -secondarybatteries, comprising a rectangular frame, a terminal disposed adjacent to one corner of the frame, parallel diagonal ribs extending from the lower portions of the grid, generally toward said terminal, and respectively intersecting one 'or4 more sides of :the frame, transverse serrated 'supports intersecting said diagonal ribs, and vertical surface ribs lntersecting the serrated points of sald supports; the.

thickness of thel frame extending forth.

'ings within the frame, substantially as set forth.

, 5. A grid for secondary batteries, com- I .prising an integral casting, having a rectangular frame, a vterminal disposed adjacent to one corner ofV said frame, parallel" diagonal ribs of substantially thefull thickness of the frame, parallel transverse serrated 'ribs extending from side to side of the frame, and alternately staggered parallel vertical ribs extending from the bottom of the frame,

'the top to and staggered upon opposite sides to intersect the serrated' supports; all of said parallel members havlngV uniform spacing, substantially as set 6. -A grid for secondary batteries, comprising a rectangular frame, transversely positioned shelves or supports of 4serrated form Ain staggered relation upon opposite 1 sides of the grid, and vertical ribs intersecting the points of the serrated shelves and supporting the same, in staggered relation upon opposite sides of the grid, substantially as set forth. v

. 7. A grid for secondary batteries, com-v prising a rectangular frame, a terminal extending from' the upper `portion of said the lower portions generally toward the terminal of theV grid; the same being-substantially the full depth or thickness of the grid, and transverse serrated supports in staggered relation intersecting said ribs, and adapted to carry the weight ofthe oxid filling; all integrally molded with the frame, substantially as set forth.

In-'testimony whereof I do now affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT c. DEIKE. [La] i Witnesses:

FRANK BUBUA, v,ALBERT LYNN LAWRENCE.

. framc, parallel diagonal ribs extending from l 

